Preface

Cities are vastly complex and Singapore is not different， perhaps even more so since it is a city-state.Constrained by its physical size， it is both a city （or a network of small cities） as well as a sovereign state，with all the necessary organs of an independent nation. With a population of some 5.2 million， it is a country with one of the highest population density anywhere in the whole.Being a global and cosmopolitan city，this complexity is further exacerbated culturally and socially，resulting in an equally composite cityscape.Beneath all these is an underlying order created by state-led urban planning and design that is guided by rational long term objectives and priorities.

Growing up in the city-state， many of us take this complex and yet intensely planned environment for granted. It is refreshing to see Singapore's cityscape through the lens of a fresh pair of eyes of a visitor. Zhu Lishan， in her repeated trips to Singapore over the last 10 years has witnessed changes in its cityscape and also recorded many aspects of the city’s environment. Her expertise in industrial design sharpens her sensitivity to the design of urban furniture and elements of a smaller scale. In this prolonged promenade on the Singapore Island ， Lishan has focused our attention not only on the larger urban framework but also the little things that make a city more livable and daily life more interesting.It is with much pleasure that I follow the multifarious paths of this stroll and enjoy the many details discovered during this delightful journey.

王才强 博士 教授

新加坡国立大学 环境与设计学院 院长

Heng Chye Kiang

Dean， School of Design and Environment，

National University of Singapore

Singapore /24 June 2012